Acts 18:16
Context18:16 Then he had them forced away 1 from the judgment seat. 2
Acts 12:21
Context12:21 On a day determined in advance, Herod 3 put on his royal robes, 4 sat down on the judgment seat, 5 and made a speech 6 to them.
Acts 18:17
Context18:17 So they all seized Sosthenes, the president of the synagogue, 7 and began to beat 8 him in front of the judgment seat. 9 Yet none of these things were of any concern 10 to Gallio.
Acts 25:17
Context25:17 So after they came back here with me, 11 I did not postpone the case, 12 but the next day I sat 13 on the judgment seat 14 and ordered the man to be brought.


[18:16] 1 tn Grk “driven away,” but this could result in a misunderstanding in English (“driven” as in a cart or wagon?). “Forced away” conveys the idea; Gallio rejected their complaint. In contemporary English terminology the case was “thrown out of court.” The verb ἀπήλασεν (aphlasen) has been translated as a causative since Gallio probably did not perform this action in person, but ordered his aides or officers to remove the plaintiffs.
[18:16] 2 sn See the note on the term judgment seat in 18:12.
[12:21] 3 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:21] 4 tn Or “apparel.” On Herod’s robes see Josephus, Ant. 19.8.2 (19.344), summarized in the note at the end of v. 23.
[12:21] 5 tn Although BDAG 175 s.v. βῆμα 3 gives the meaning “speaker’s platform” for this verse, and a number of modern translations use similar terms (“rostrum,” NASB; “platform,” NRSV), since the bema was a standard feature in Greco-Roman cities of the time, there is no need for an alternative translation here.
[12:21] 6 tn Or “delivered a public address.”
[18:17] 5 tn That is, “the official in charge of the synagogue”; ἀρχισυνάγωγος (arcisunagwgo") refers to the “leader/president of a synagogue” (so BDAG 139 s.v. and L&N 53.93).
[18:17] 6 tn The imperfect verb ἔτυπτον (etupton) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
[18:17] 7 sn See the note on the term judgment seat in 18:12.
[18:17] 8 tn L&N 25.223 has “‘none of these things were of any concern to Gallio’ Ac 18:17.”
[25:17] 7 tn BDAG 969-70 s.v. συνέρχομαι 2 states, “συνελθόντων ἐνθάδε prob. means (because of συνκαταβάντες 25:5) they came back here with (me) 25:17.”
[25:17] 8 tn BDAG 59 s.v. ἀναβολή states, “‘delay’…legal t.t. postponement…ἀ. μηδεμίαν ποιησάμενος I did not postpone the matter Ac 25:17.” “Case” has been supplied instead of “matter” since it is more specific to the context. The participle ποιησάμενος (poihsameno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[25:17] 9 tn Grk “sitting…I ordered.” The participle καθίσας (kaqisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[25:17] 10 tn Although BDAG 175 s.v. βῆμα 3 gives the meaning “tribunal” for this verse, and a number of modern translations use similar terms (“court,” NIV; “tribunal,” NRSV), since the bema was a standard feature in Greco-Roman cities of the time, there is no need for an alternative translation here.